by Brant, Jason
“No way.” The girl recoiled. “This is a trick. I told you, Cass!”
“It’s not a trick. If I don’t have you secured, anyone who comes across us before we get to the water will know something is up. I’ll cut you free as soon as we’re on the boat.”
“You’re a liar!” Charlie tried to run around Bill, but he looped an arm around her tiny waist and lifted her off the ground.
“Let her go!” Cass raised her fists and stepped forward. “Or I’ll fuck you up.”
Bill eyed Cass while lowering the girl. “We don’t have time for this. You asked for my help and you’re getting it, but we have to do things my way. You don’t know the way this place works. If I’m escorting prisoners around the campgrounds without restraints, they’ll start asking questions.”
“He’s lying.” Charlie ripped free of Bill’s grip when her feet touched the ground. “This is all a trick.”
“Make a decision.” Bill kept his attention on Cass. “Come with me or not, but either way, I’m getting across that water and out of here. Your friends are already waiting, which means I’m through in this place. They’ll feed me to the demons if they find out what I’ve done.”
Cass searched his face for any hint of deceit.
She didn’t see any.
Then again, she didn’t want to see any.
“Do it.” Cass turned around. Put her hands behind her back. “You won’t like what I’ll do to you if you’re lying. I’m not someone you want to screw over.”
“I can tell.” Bill pulled her hands together before looping the plastic over her wrists.
Charlie whined, “Cass, you can’t believe—”
“We don’t have a choice. Come with us or go on your own. Either way, I’m going to my son.” Cass headed for the door, while Bill waited to see what Charlie would do.
The girl stood by her cell, her face scrunched in disbelief. “This is so stupid. He’s not going to turn against Valerie. He’s been sleeping with her since they brought me here!”
Cass stopped by the door and waited, watching Charlie with impatience. The girl had raised an interesting point about the relationship between Valerie and her traitorous head guard. If they had a relationship, that might explain why Bill felt betrayed by Valerie’s actions.
Or it could point to a double cross.
Right now, it didn’t matter.
Either he was being duplicitous, or he wasn’t.
The only way to find out was to go through with the plan he’d laid out.
“Oh, fine!” Charlie huffed and turned around, presenting her hands. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you!”
Bill cuffed her, then led both through the front door. He checked the road, searching for anyone wandering around. “The campgrounds should be clear for the most part. Valerie called everyone to the fence for a meeting to tell them about the demons’ agitated behavior. We should only see a few guards by the reservoir, but they won’t be close enough to see what’s going on. Hopefully.”
Cass wondered how they knew the Vladdies were organizing nearby. The vampires stayed underground during the day, out of sight of humans. Unless they had someone crazy enough to go near a nest, she didn’t know they could tell what the Vladdies were up to. She set a mental reminder to ask him about later.
“And if the guards do see us?” Cass asked.
“We’ll run like hell. If we can get to the boat, we should be okay. I checked the motor and gas before coming back for you. It’s not a speedboat, but it’s faster than anything else we have.”
“They won’t shoot at us?” Cass asked.
“Hopefully not. They’ll wonder what I’m doing with you, but won’t jump straight to the conclusion that I’m busting you out of here. They’ll call in to Valerie to see what’s up before they start shooting.”
“You hope?”
“That’s the best I’ve got.”
Charlie peered around fearful and wide-eyed as they hurried along the side of a rock-covered road. The girl obviously hadn’t seen much of the campgrounds since they’d locked her up. Her breathing was heavy before they hit the first turn and went left, toward the water.
She clearly hadn’t done a lot of yoga during her captivity.
They passed campers and gardens, small, simple buildings, and a few cars. The place appeared empty until a woman in her mid-forties stepped out of an RV as they rushed past it. She rubbed a towel in her graying hair as she spotted the trio.
“Bill?” she asked. “What’s going on?”
“Hey, Kendra.” Bill pushed Cass in the back, making her stumble a few steps. “Valerie wants me to get the prisoners to a more secure location before dark.”
“More secure than the prison?” Kendra stopped drying her hair and watched them. “Where’s that?”
“No idea.” Bill shrugged and gave her a smile. “You know me—I do what I’m told. Valerie gets what she wants.”
“I hear that.” Kendra tossed the towel onto a picnic table beside her RV, then ran a hand through her tangled hair. “Be quick about it though. We’ll need you at the fence soon if there are as many demons out there as they’re saying.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be there in a jiffy.” Bill gave Charlie a shove next. “Get moving, ladies.”
Cass knew Bill was playing his part, or at least she hoped, but getting shoved around pissed her off. She didn’t let anyone lay hands on her like that, let alone someone she distrusted as much as the guard.
The woman headed off along a path cutting through the forest.
“That’s why we needed the ties,” Bill whispered as they continued in the other direction. “K would have asked a lot more questions if you were completely free.”
“Just get us the hell out of here.” Cass glanced over her shoulder at him. “You really are low on the totem pole around here, aren’t you? She bossed you around, and you didn’t even bat an eye.”
“All the men are around here. We do what they want, when they want.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“Would I be breaking you out of here if I was?”
Cass didn’t know if she believed him, but didn’t see the point in continuing to needle him. As long as he was getting them out of there, she didn’t much care what his motivation might be. That would be a consideration for another time.
It took the better part of five minutes before Cass spotted the fading sun reflecting off the reservoir ahead. She almost broke into a run at the sight of it. Bill sensed it and put a hand on her shoulder, keeping her steady.
“Not yet,” he said. “Don’t draw attention to us.”
Shouts came from somewhere behind them, barely audible through the forest. Beyond the shouts, Cass heard a chorus of otherworldly screams from the Vladdies. She glanced toward the sun again, shocked to see how high it was in the sky.
They shouldn’t have heard any of the damned yet.
And it wasn’t just one or two shrieks she could make out.
It sounded like an army marching toward the camp.
Bill followed her train of thought. “King said your husband riled up the demons something fierce. Apparently, there are multiple nests pissed off. Gonna make for an interesting night here.”
“How are they out during the day?” Cass followed a thin trail leading off the road, storming toward the water. “We have an hour or so until nightfall, right?”
“Dunno. Hopefully we’ll be out of here before we have the chance to find out.”
“You left the others by the side of the water?” Charlie asked. “Are they safe from the demons over there?”
Cass stopped in her tracks and looked back at Bill.
The guard’s face reddened. “We better hurry.”
They speed-walked toward the shore, Cass in the lead. She tried to remain calm, but the din of the infected grew louder with each step. Doubt crept into her thoughts as she questioned if they’d made the right decision to leave the camp.
If being a prisoner wou
ld have kept the children safe, even if only for the night, she would have gladly accepted that fate. Knowing her boy was exposed to the Vladdies made her stomach twist with anxiety.
They reached the reservoir several minutes later, and Bill pointed to a wooden boat with an engine hanging off back to their left. Cass spotted a few guards to the right, though their attention was fixated in the other direction.
“Let’s move while they’re distracted.” Bill sprinted past Cass. He reached it first and shoved it into the water, holding it steady as the women approached.
Cass angled her hands toward him. “Cut me loose.”
He complied, freeing both of their hands. Charlie splashed into the water first, her pants soaking up to her knees before she climbed over the side of the small boat and slid to the front.
As Cass followed her, she caught sight of movement along the edge of the water on the far side of the reservoir. She held her hand up, trying to shield her eyes from the sun. “What is that?”
Bill stepped into the boat and followed her gaze. “I can’t tell. Another group of people maybe?”
“Is that where you left my people?” Cass asked.
“No, they’re over there.” Bill pointed to the right. “See that SUV sitting there?”
Cass struggled to see past the glare on the water. She caught sight of a black vehicle sitting in front of a small dock. The doors and windows were closed.
“They’re in there.”
“We’re all going to fit in one car?” she asked.
“We’ll make it work. Getting two vehicles out of here would have raised red flags. You’ll have to hold the kids in your laps.”
Cass turned her attention back to the line of people traversing along the edge of the water. Making out details proved difficult because of the distance and glare, but Cass could tell that they moved quickly. She couldn’t even tell how many there were. At least twenty, but likely more. Maybe a lot more.
They seemed hunched over or short.
Something was off.
“They’re moving toward the SUV. Get us over there!” Cass sat down in the boat and held onto the side. “Do you think your people were onto you?”
“No way.” Bill fiddled with the engine. “There’s no chance they—”
Half-a-dozen shrieks came from the group across the water. Their pace doubled as they headed straight for the stationary getaway vehicle.
“They’re Vladdies! How is that possible? The sun isn’t down yet!” Cass sucked in a harsh breath. “They’re going to beat us to the car. Do you have a radio?”
“In my bag there.” Bill started the engine. Gunned the throttle. “It’s already set to a channel that only your friends should hear.”
The boat roared to life as Bill angled them toward their car. Water sprayed them as the boat lurched forward. Wind ruffled Cass hair as she bent forward and grabbed hold of a duffel bag Bill had tossed in the middle of the floor.
Confused shouts came from the shore beside them as Bill abandoned their stealthy exit strategy. The guards along the edge of the reservoir had turned their attention to them. Called out in confusion.
“They’re aiming their guns at us!” Charlie ducked down behind the edge of the boat, only her head and shoulders peeking over the side.
Cass didn’t bother explaining to her that the thin metal of the boat wouldn’t do a damn thing to stop bullets if the guards opened fire. She hoped Bill was right and the guards wouldn’t shoot at him unless Valerie gave them the go-ahead.
Rifling through the bag, she found clothes, food, and other supplies.
Cass sorted past ammunition and a few pistols before her fingers brushed against a walkie-talkie. She pulled it out of the bag, then squeezed the button on the side with her fingers. “This is Cass; can anyone hear me?”
She released the button and waited, holding her breath in anticipation.
The group of Vladdies raced along the shoreline. Cass had hoped Bill could goose the engine of their boat fast enough that they could cut the infected off, but now she knew they wouldn’t make it in time. The Vladdies would beat them there, and it wasn’t going to be close.
“Cass?” a voice answered a moment later. “This is the Wildman. Where the hell are yinz?”
“We’re in a boat on the other side of the water coming to you, but we aren’t going to make it in time. There’s a group of Vladdies heading right for you!”
“What? It’s still daylight.”
Cass gripped the radio with such force that her knuckles turned white. They didn’t have time for any of this. “I don’t know how, but they’re outside and they’re coming right for you! Look to your left, along the water. You have to get of here! Drive for Baltimore right now!”
“What are you doing?” Charlie peeled her wide-eyed gaze from the guards on the beach and goggled at Cass. “If they leave, we’ll be stranded!”
“That’s our only ride,” Bill said. “If they leave without us, we’re toast.”
“By the time we get to the shore, they’ll already be dead. I’m not going to sacrifice my family so we can get out of here.” Cass pointed at the infected. “And they’ll destroy the car in seconds, and we’ll be stranded anyway.”
Charlie’s face fell as she glanced at the approaching Vladdies. “But what are we going to do?”
“I have another idea, but first—”
“I’ll be goddamned! They’re running right at us! Doc, make like this is a DeLorean and hit eighty-eight miles an hour!” Paul’s voice rose several octaves as he shouted in the background, forgetting he was holding down the transmit button on his radio.
Cass heard Emmett arguing with him about leaving her behind.
“We ain’t got time for this, Doc! They’re gonna be on us before—”
Their side of the conversation died as Paul must have finally released the button
“Come on, get moving,” Cass whispered to herself as she watched the SUV.
The Vladdies’ approach accelerated.
“Go!” Cass hollered into her radio. “We’ll catch up!”
Dozens of shrieks echoed over the reservoir as the Vladdies moved within fifty yards of the vehicle. They bounded along in massive leaps. Cass stood in the boat, unconcerned she could fall over the side.
The brake lights on the SUV flashed on and then it lurched forward, tires spinning, the back end of the vehicle fishtailing.
One of the Vladdies leaped ahead of the others and smashed into the back of the car. It failed to grab hold of anything and slid off the bumper, rolling in the dirt. Even as far away as they were, Cass could see the enormous dent left behind by the bulk of the beast.
The SUV finally found purchase on the ground, accelerating away from the pack just as they reached the first Vladdie that had gotten back to its feet. Dust plumed behind the vehicle, swallowing the beasts racing after it. The car picked up speed as it approached a road ahead, before finally braking and sliding into the pavement.
They headed south.
Cass keyed the mic, “Is everyone okay?”
“Got out of there by the hair on our ass.” Paul breathed heavily into the radio. “Now how are we gonna get yinz out of there?”
“I’m working on that now. I’ll get back to you in a few.” Cass breathed a sigh of relief. “And Paul?”
“Yeah?”
“You take care of the boys, you hear me? Don’t let anything happen to them.”
“Nothing’ll happen to ‘em on my watch, girlie.”
Cass sat down and pinched the bridge of her nose. “What a clusterfuck.”
“What are we going to do now?” Charlie turned her attention back to the guards.
They remained on the shore, but they no longer had their weapons aimed at the boat. Instead, they looked back at the woods beyond them. One was on his radio. The revving of the boat’s engine drowned out anything they might have heard from the men.
Cass turned back to Bill. “The truck you said went missing… what’s
the channel their radio should be set to?”
Bill perked up, his face curling into a grin as he told her. “You’re going to call your man to pick us up?”
“That’s right.” Cass switched the walkie-talkie to the proper channel as Bill told her what it was. “And he’ll move mountains to get to us.”
38
Brandon hopped out of the truck and landed on the road. He took the rifle Lance handed him with a grimace. Any plan that relied on him to act as a sharpshooter was one he couldn’t get behind.
What they were about to do was such a plan.
They’d decided Eifort would drop them off at different spots away from the camp and give them a few minutes to find high ground, so they could see the camp. Then Eifort would approach the front gate with their hostages and negotiate a deal.
If things went sideways, Lance and Brandon were to cover Eifort as she fled back to their truck.
The whole thing sounded moronic to Brandon.
First of all, he wasn’t that great of a shot.
Second, they were planning to negotiate with Valerie, a notorious asshole who was difficult to deal with.
Third, it was almost sundown and they already knew the demons were fired up for a fight. The damn things were running around in the daylight, wearing the flesh of men like a raincoat.
Everything had gone to crap, and here they were trying to pull off a miracle in the middle of Nowhere, PA. The whole thing stunk to Brandon. He closed his eyes as Lance ran through the plan again while leaning into the passenger side window.
Brandon let his thoughts drift to Charlie.
He’d come for her.
If she were still alive, she might be inside that gate. He’d come this far to find her, so he might as well sack up and go the rest of the way. The way her smile was a little lopsided popped into his mind, and he grinned while picturing it. Charlie had added a little color into the grayness of the world.
He needed her with him if he ever hoped to have a happy life at The Light.
“Are you listening to me, kid?” Lance asked. “You’re grinning like a damn fool while I’m talking about shooting at—”